Haibun: 2018

Happy New Year to you all.  This haibun is my mantra for 2018.

 

Leap into 2018. Practice kindness, hope, and gratitude. Live mindfully. Be true to yourself. Live life to the fullest. So many paths to choose from. Which ones to choose?

bitter cold new years day –
stray cats come out of hiding –
to eat their fill

New Years Day 2016 – copyright Kanzensakura

Happy New Year: Three Little Words

First of all, thank you.  All of you have made this past year amazing in so many ways.  When I had to have my SamCat put to sleep, you all poured out your love and thoughts and although you all are “invisible”, I felt the hugs and encircling arms.  Yet again you all made me believe in the “kindness of unstrangers”, the readers who become friends who become family.  Thank you all and may this new year be full of blessings to you for all the blessings you have shared with me.  Happy New Year – peace, love, good health, joy, inspiration – all of this and more is wished for you.

Now….At the beginning of every year, after a couple of weeks of meditation and prayer, I pick three words to be my goals, dreams, working for – in the new year.  After much contemplation and discarding words such as brave, hope, share, inspiration, I came up with three little words – Happy New Year.  Yes, Happy, New, Year.

The words were staring me right in the face.  If they had been snakes, I’d have been eaten.  So:

Happy:  to strive to be happy, to share that happiness, to create happiness – goal #1

New:  It is a year.  2015 is past and 2016 is here.  To look at life and people with a different perception, in new ways, to meet new people, to try new things, to move forward.  Goal #2

Year:  The time I’ve been given as a gift.  Something to claim and make my own.  To go through that year one day at a time.  To work hard to make this year the best ever for others, for me, for the earth.  Goal #3

I hope this year ahead is good for all of us.  We have our work cut out for us to make this year Happy, New, and the best ever.  Please pray for me and send up good thoughts towards these three new goals.  I will be doing the same for you.  Happy New Year!  Happy happy New new Year year.

copyright kanzensakura

new year sky: cloud paths
lead in many directions –
our choice where we go.

Happy 2015: Faith of the Heart

copyright kanzensakura

Happy new year, my friends who have become family. I wish you all the best of everything that is good to be present in your life and the lives of those you love.

I read your posts. Like me, I know you all have had rough patches, sad times, fear, despair….I have read of your struggles but mostly, I have read of your victories.  How you kept going in spite of everything.  You have lost jobs, homes, those you love.  You have been diagnosed with illnesses, had accidents. injuries.  But mostly, I have read of your faith and hope.

And always, I read your comments to me encouraging me.  I hope I have encouraged you all as well.

So….Happy 2015.  I know many of you will relate to this song which has reminded me many times of that “faith of the heart”.  I pray we are all of moving from the cold dark to the warm light.  You all lift me up and I hope on this first day of the new year, I can do the same for you.

My prayers go out for you all daily.  Bless you all.

 

In case you missed January 1…..

There is still time to suck down some noodles, pick at some peas, grab some grapes, and cash in on some green(s).  For those of you who keep time to the Julian calendar, your day is January 14. The Chinese New Year rings February 10 – 11 (year of the snake, baby) and for those of you who really like to push the late New Year envelope, try Chaul Chnam Thmey April 13.  The Khmer New Year this go around is year of the dragon.  I think dragon trumps snake and I’ll go with Chaul Chnam Thmey.

Not only do you have a chance to chow down on lucky noshes, you have several chances to make and break resolutions and redeem yourself – again.  I myself, like new beginnings, especially when I get several chances to begin again, and again….

Now about those black eyed peas folks are always griping about.  If you dump them out of a can, like most stuff you just dump out of a can, the results will be a most memorable memory of blahblahblah.   I myself, being a true daughter of the south, picked my peas at the end of the summer and while fresh and sweet, I froze them away for future use.  Sweet and al dente, these peas please.  I put some water in a pot, add a bit of salt, a nice piece of ham, smoked ham hock, salt pork, streak of lean…..let boil until the water is a nice porky broth.  I then add the peas, cover, and let cook until tender.  The peas and broth put into a bowl and eaten with hot, well buttered cornbread and paired with a big glass of sweet tea (a bold yet winsome Luzianne 2012) makes most anybody happy.

BTW:  Why are black eyed peas lucky?  According to ancient Southern legend, during the war of northern aggression, the town of Vicksburg was surrounded and food had run out.  In an amazing discovery, bags of dried peas were found.  The townspeople were saved from starvation. I take no responsibility for this tale, but I was told by a friend from Miz-zippi, that this is true.  I have no reason to doubt her word.  She has always been truthful, especially that time she and her husband took me snipe hunting.  I didn’t catch anything in my bag but I was told that was because I didn’t whistle it in right.

Or, you can do as a lot of Asians and eat noodles – the longer the better.  However, be warned:  the noodle must make it to the mouth whole.  “Toshi-koshi” as the Japanese say, from one year to the next.  Years ago, myself and one of the members of the 11/16 Society enacted that scene from Lady and the Tramp with an amazingly long soba noodle.  No meatball, but at the end of that noodle, we didn’t care.  That was definitely a lucky food for 01/01/85.

Circular foods are always good for lucky eating – no break, eternity, full cycle……you get the drift.  After the black eyed peas and cornbread, I would suggest a luxurious round dessert:  donut and ice cream.  The method:  take a Krispy Kreme donut (another southern delicacy that has migrated around the world) and carefully warm in a pan with a few pats of melted butter.  Remove from pan and top with ice cream of your choice.  Enjoy with a big mug of chickory enhanced coffee and a big splash of half and half.  Yowzer y’all.

Happy New Year, as many times as you can find on the calendar.   Noodles, donuts, grapes, peas, whatever……But if you must make resolutions, then resolve to be happy, be kind, find excuses to laugh, make new friends.  Live long and prosper.